session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 1 Accreditation – from programmes to institutions Pavol Návrat Slovakia

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 2 Setting the stage  Slovakian tradition of accreditation originates in 1990  Accreditation compulsory for all three levels  Accreditation endorsed strongly in 2002 law on HE

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 3 New law on HE (2002)  Implements Bologna  3 levels - very consequently  Simplification of degrees – failed (e.g., 4 types of doctorates, 2 different titles for Master)  Introduces the concept of „comprehensive accreditation“  Introduces the concepts of non-universities and research universities  Eases procedure for establishing a new HEI  Introduces the concept of a professor also as a position

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 4 comprehensive accreditation  Concerns HE institution  Comprises  Study programmes  Research (in 24 groups)  Other activities (right to nominate professor in particular field)  Institution as a whole

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 5 comprehensive accreditation  Compulsory for all HE institutions  Periodical (once in cca 6 years)  Performed by Accreditation Commission

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 6 comprehensive accreditation  Results in:  Report evaluating the institution  Accreditation decisions on all study programmes  Decisions on all professor-nominating rights  Decision on the category of HEI

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 7 comprehensive accreditation  Experience from the past:  Evaluation of Faculties (2000)  Resulted in a report and a „mark“ for a Faculty based mainly of quality of research  a mixed acceptance by HEIs

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 8 comprehensive accreditation  Evaluation of research:  Criteria inspired by the British RAE  Results in „marks“

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 9 experience  IV/2002-IV/2003 criteria for accreditation of study programmes  (re-)accreditation of study programmes  2006 criteria for comprehensive accreditation

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 10 accreditation of study programmes  At a first glance, just a reaccreditation  But:  Before the new law, only few cases of 3-tier scheme, thus  Redesign from the long 5 year programme to 3 perhaps+ 2

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 11 Criteria for accreditation of study programmes  16 particular attributes  Input: e.g. quality of staff  Process: e.g. engineering, art  Output: e.g. employability of graduates  Criteria are universal  Simple, transparent  But: need for specificity, e.g. medicine

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 12 Criteria for accreditation of study programmes  Quality of research: requirements reflect the level  3rd level:  Since rights to confer all the degrees, including PhD, have only HEIs, research institutes participate in doctoral programmes within arrangements with HEI:  Subject to accreditation

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 13 Criteria for accreditation of study programmes  Questions:  Should criteria be universal for all types of HEI?  (In Slovakia, they are, only their interpretation differs slightly.)  Should criteria be universal for all fields of study?  (In Slovakia, they are, only their interpretation differs slightly. BTW, how about the regulated professions?)

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 14 Process of acreditation of study programmes  A unique experience:  cca 2 and a half thousand programmes assessed in cca 2 and a half years  Only possible because:  Very responsible attitude of the HEIs (and the commission )  Essentially, a reaccreditation  One fifth negative

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 15 Another view  Accreditation of a single study programme can be much more detailed and demanding –  example Informatics at the Slovak Uni of Tech in Bratislava, accredited by the British Engineering Council (IEE)  Facultative may mean higher quality

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 16 (Limited) experience with „international“ accreditation  may mean higher quality, but only may...  A loose concept, covers many things  Internationalisation of „national“ accreditation  Incorporating overseas experts generally (a need in a „small“ country), and in particular in „small“ fields

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 17 Cross border  Foreign HEIs either  Establish a branch (operate legally as a Slovak HEI, subject to Slovak accreditation, to date none)  Operate in a grey zone, accreditation unclear - presumably in their home country and issuing home country diplomas, subject to recognition process

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 18 Cross border  HEI operating abroad:  Does it suffice for it to have the programme accredited somewhere, somehow?  Comparability of accreditation criteria, process, outcomes  Issues:  Transparency  Fair competition

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 19 A possible way  „national“ accreditation agencies learn about their respective criteria, processes, outcomes  Agree on level and extent of comparability  If they do, to the agreed extent the „national“ accreditation can be replaced by an „international“ one  A project with the Czech agency in preparation

session/workshop number th Annual EAIE Conference 13 to 16 September 2006, Basel (Switzerland) 20 International accreditation  Questions:  two levels accreditation?  One – to fulfil national legal requirements to be eligible to enroll students  Two – to assess compatibility with professional standards in a particular field, which are by their nature international  Opening competition in accreditation?  To increase quality of accrediting? (what is a more analogous case: judges, regulatory bodies, telecom operators, any service providers...?)